Court Refuses To Rehear Legislative Prayer Case

CHICAGO (CN) – The 7th Circuit has declined to reconsider its dismissal of a challenge to the Indiana House’s practice of opening sessions with a sectarian prayer.

The court previously overturned a ban on prayers that refer to Christ or any specific religious denomination. The three-judge panel did not address the merits of the case, but ruled that taxpayers were not able to show that the House tradition of inviting clergy to offer prayer violates the constitutional separation of church and state. The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana had asked the full appeals court to rehear the case.